Draken
A brutal and aggressive species, the Draken are the most deadly fighters in the Dominion military. Sworn to serve the empire that bested their greatest warriors of old, they have dedicated themselves to conquering the planet Nexus for Emperor Myrcalus the Vindicator. They are a race of warriors and hunters, always seeking more powerful foes and more cunning prey to test their skills. Physical description Draken display both reptilian and mammalian characteristics. They are humanoid in shape, but walk with a hunched stance and have long tails that run roughly two-thirds the length of their bodies. Both males and females bear a pair of heavy horns atop their thick, bony skulls, and have sharp claws on both their hands and feet. Their tough hides range in color from red-brown to gray-black. Homeworld The Draken hail from Mikros, a small planet that circles a red giant star. Mikros has a tidally locked orbit, with one side perpetually exposed to the searing heat of the sun and the other side hidden in cold, icy darkness. Forged in the heat and dust of this savage homeworld, the Draken see Nexus as a primeval wilderness where they can test their strength and skill in combat. Culture Bloodshamans Draken bloodshamans act as spiritual guides and holy men for both the clanlord and community at large, ensuring that the Blood Covenants are respected and followed by all. Bloodshamans are an integral part of preparations for war, chanting excerpts from the covenants as they engage in arcane rituals that are meant to prepare their warriors for battle. Huntresses Hunts of all kinds are overseen by the village huntress and her lesser huntresses, as they have been for thousands of years. Huntresses teach techniques that have proven most effective over countless generations, develop new killing styles for the strange prey of Nexus, and judge the abilities of those who hunt for the clan. The Great Hunt The Great Hunt is a Draken ritual somewhere between a recreational sport and a religious rite. Great Hunts are usually called by clanlords, officiated by huntresses, and blessed by bloodshamans with a great Bloodfeast. There are two levels of participation in the Great Hunt, one of which is open to almost any who will accept the challenge, and a higher level at which only the powerful may participate. In the open challenge, Draken and their honored guests hunt wild game in the area and collect skulls for the sacred skullpiles. Members of the select, however, may hunt elite targets chosen by the clanlords and huntresses. Elite targets may be strange monstrosities from Nexus, imported beasts from all over the galaxy, or even especially cunning prisoners of war. The Bloodfeast The Bloodfeast is a festival of Draken culture with origins on ancient Mikros. Bloodfeasts are organized for many different reasons, but usually to mark a special anniversary or occasion such as an historic victory or important visitors. Often a Bloodfeast is part of the Great Hunt, ending that sacred event with a days-long orgy of food, fighting, and epic tales of past battles. Hunter's Implements Draken believe that by employing materials from the hunting ground itself into their hunt they honor their old gods, and scans indicate the Draken have created a wide variety of implements for their hunts on Nexus. Some of these have utilitarian purposes - essentially primitive clubs and blades that can be employed to kill and maim. Scans show more than 70% of these implements bear more than one type of genetic material, probably blood, from multiple victims. Others, while possessed of a deadly visage, appear to be purely ceremonial and only have mild traces of genetic material from the Draken creator. Old Gods of the Blood Covenants The Draken worship many of the Old Gods from their homeworld, Mikros. They include: * Shezka, goddess of strength. Her symbols include bones, skulls, and swords. * Ravok, god of courage. His symbols include a fang or a fist. * Hazak, god of loyalty. Symbols include blood drop or Draken horns. * Fazaar is the god of spirit. His symbols include an open flame or the blazing red sun of Mikros. * Werza is the goddess of wisdom. Her symbols include a serpent and the raptor bird of prey. Common oaths related to these gods include: * Moons of Mikros! * Hazak's Blood! * Horns of Hazak! * Ravok's Rage! * By the flames of Fazaar! * Shezka's blade! * By furious Ravok! * Serpents of Werza! History Azrion the Conqueror, emperor of old and son of Dominus, came to Mikros and challenged the High Clanlord Zhur. Zhur was strong, but Azrion was stronger. The Draken swore eternal loyalty to the Emperor, and today follow his heirs. While the Draken are technically loyal citizens of the Dominion, it should be noted that they consider themselves culturally sworn to serve the Emperor, whomever that may be, rather than the Dominion itself. When the Dominion started to colonize Nexus, the region of Deradune was given to the Draken. The Draken feel at home in the hot, dry savanna, hunting the native prey. The central settlement in the region, Bloodfire Village, is ruled by Clanlord Makaza, himself an honored veteran of dozens of battles against the Exiles. The Dark Rites The Dark Rites are a set of controversial practices followed by a subset of the Draken population. They are what could charitably be described as an 'alternate interperetation' of the Blood Covenants, subverting the popular beliefs to facilitate black sorcery and dark blood magic. Practitioners of these dark rites are known as necroshamans and can weaken and control others; the most powerful necroshamans can blur the line between life and death, summoning the dead to serve them. Like most Draken, Necroshamans pray and swear oaths to the five gods, but are different in that they honor the 'hidden' faces of these gods, calling back to the hidden, cold face of Mikros itself. Some rename the Blood Covenants in order to serve their belief better, calling them the Covenants of Weakness. Necroshamans are hunted and reviled by the majority population of Draken, and knowledge of the Dark Rites is suppressed, except in the case of those who are tasked to hunt down and kill the necroshamans. Like how the Blood Covenants deal primarily with life, the Dark Rites deal primarily with death and the afterlife. Necroshamans believe that by embracing the qualities of self reviled by most Draken, they can overcome all weaknesses, even death itself, and reach beyond death's door with their black powers. The Dark Rite gods are as follows: Goddess: Shezka, goddess of pestilence and vulnerability *To perceive the weakness of others and exploit it for their own purposes. The Covenant of Blindness Goddess: Werza, goddess of blindness and confusion *To confuse and blind their enemies, hide them from those who would do them harm. The Covenant of Fear God: Ravok, god of dread and despair *To undo their enemies, make them tremble with fear. The Covenant of Treachery God: Hazak, god of betrayal, lies, and deception *To recognize that betrayal is inevitable and to embrace it as a means to gain power. The Covenant of Flesh '''God: '''Fazaar, god of the dead *The god who guards the gateway between life and death. View of other races * Draken hate the Exiles, but respect their instincts and cunning. They are survivors, and survivors make good prey. The Granok are especially worthy, and many Draken seek out the Granok in combat to test their own skills. * Marauders make good sport and are considered agile, well-armed, and bloodthirsty. * The Krogg of the Darkspur Cartel are also worthy foes. They are criminal scum, but they fight like wild beasts. * The Draken respect chuan resourcefulness, but they consider them untrustworthy because of their mischievous nature. Chua fear the Draken, but often find them easy targets for manipulation. * The Draken are disturbed and repulsed by the Mordesh. Media Images Draken1.png Draken2.png Draken3.png Draken4.png Draken5.png Draken6.png Draken7.png Draken8.png Draken9.png Videos WildStar_-_Character_Creation_Draken_Male_and_Female|Bog Otter - Draken Male and Female (beta) WildStar - Dominion - Draken Male, Character Creation WildStar - Dominion - Draken Female, Character Creation ;Fan lore WildStar Who Are The Draken? ja:Draken Category:Draken Category:Bestiary